Deer in the headlights
by Nymus
Summary: Lance has always had a way with words, and he was not afraid to use it on anyone that caught his interest. At least, that's what he would say if anyone asked him. His friends, however, may have another opinion. Also known as 5 times Lance flirting failed plus 1 time it worked
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

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Lance was having an awful day so far. To be fair, it had started regular enough and at some point, he had thought it would be his lucky day, but life couldn't be that nice to him. As if being sixteen, the younger kid and struggling with school wasn't enough. He stomped into the classroom and sat on his regular place, collapsing over his table.

"I'm dead today! Ignore me!"

His friends followed him, way more collected, but he didn't even look at them. Not in the mood to look at their funny faces.

"What did he do?" Lance heard from behind but didn't dignify the question with an answer. His day was fucked up already, he didn't need his worst frenemy to know.

"Oh, you will love this." Said instead Pidge, the traitor.

"It wasn't Lance's fault!" God bless Hunk, at least someone was on his side

"Now, I'm interested."

"Okay, so we were walking out the cafeteria.."

"I can hear you, you know?" Lance whined from his seat, turning around to look at the group surrounding him.

"I thought you were dead." Keith, the ass, said, arching one brow as the show off he was.

"Well, I'm not dead enough to let you talk shit at my back!"

"I haven't said anything! "

"Yet!"

"A girl slapped him." Pidge kept going, ignoring their discussion.

"What!?"

"Pidge!"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Lance collapsed on his table again with a groan, while Hunk patted his back. Meanwhile, Pidge and Keith discussed the situation, ignoring his red ears.

"There's a new girl at school, and apparently she's the most beautiful person Lance has ever seen. His words, not mine. So, he couldn't resist going to her and being his usual self, finger guns and all."

"Sounds normal enough."

"I know! But here comes the best, he goes to the girl and says and I quote 'Are you an alien? Because your body is out of this world.'"

At this, Keith broke into laughter and Lance pouted behind his arms. It was a pretty good line and his friends were just mean.

"So, there was a silence for a second and then this girl got really mad and slapped him right in the face." Keith had calmed enough to just snicker a bit so Pidge kept going with her story. "Apparently, she's from the UK and thought Lance was making fun of her accent or something."

"Ouch."

"Indeed. Actually, even if it's funny I feel a bit bad for him." Lance felt a finger poking at his ribs, making him jump on his site. "Come back to the land of the living, Loverboy."

"No," Lance said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You are the worst friends ever. Tell them, Hunk!"

"I'm sorry, Lance, but it was pretty funny. Is your face still hurting tho?" Even when he joined the wrong side, Hunk was still a good friend.

"I'm perfectly okay, no thanks to any of you."

"What happened with the girl?" Keith asked then, making Lance turn around to look at him "Is she still mad at you?"

"Actually, she got a bit scared when Lance almost cried." Pidge was tapping at her phone, while she said that, apparently not caring enough to keep her whole focus on the conversation anymore.

"I didn't cry!" And he didn't, even though the girl was actually very strong and the slap had hurt.

"I'm sure you didn't." Keith said, and Lance glared at him but he couldn't see anything on his face to make him think he was lying.

"Hunk explained the situation because Lance was kinda hiding behind him and she apologized a lot of times. A lot of times."

"Oh. So I guess it's all good now?"

"She's nice." Lance said, still a bit grumpy.

"Even though she slapped you?" Keith asked.

"Well, I'll let you know she's nicer than you!"

"Oh my god, Lance, I already told you it was an accident!"

"You kicked me!"

"Not again…" Hunk said from his chair, covering his face with his hand.

"I didn't want to! We were playing!"

"You cheat!"

"I didn't-" Pidge kicked Keith and punched Lance's arm before he could finish his sentence.

"You have had this conversation around 20 times already. I'm not going to sit to listen to you scream at my ear again.

"It's Keith's fault!" Lance said just a moment before the teacher entered the room, silencing them all. He still felt his chair moving with a kick, and when he risked a look at his back he saw Keith scowling at him. Lance sticker his tongue to him before turning around to pay attention to the class. Or at least try to.

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The lunch incident was mostly forgotten until the afternoon when he was walking home. With Keith. Just because they live closer, not because they were friends or anything like that. It was just a coincidence they took the same path every day.

His cheek was still a bit red and he would have to explain things at home, something he wasn't looking forward to. So maybe he wasn't talking as much as he did usually. Not that he liked talking to Keith or anything, but since they were walking at the same pace already he could at least fill the silence, right?

The other guy didn't say too much, and Lance wasn't sure if he actually listened to him when he talked, so he was a little surprised when Keith kept asking about random things that day.

Lance had been answering with half his mind but he didn't think Keith would notice. He must have been reading something wrong because after a particularly long silence, the other guy furrowed his brow and asked.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure!" The question took Lance by surprise, but his answer was automatic anyway. "Why do you ask?"

"You are…" There was a puzzled look in Keith's face, once Lance didn't know how to interpret. "Not you."

"I'm always me, Mullet." It may have been a bit too fast and a bit too forced, because Keith stopped his walk while his face got pensive.

Lance stopped too and stood there awkwardly shifting from one foot to another. He wasn't sure if he should keep going, wait for Keith or say something to make him move.

"Are you still worried about today's thing?" His no-friend finally said, looking at him.

"Uh… I'm not sure what are you talking about." The excuse sounded bland even to Lance's ears, and he winced.

"You are!" Keith seemed proud of himself and it made Lance smile against his will. It was a funny sight. "Why are you worried?"

"Uh?"

"It will be fine." Keith said and nodded, before walking again.

"Hey! What do you mean?" Lance jogged a bit to catch up with him.

"It will be fine." Keith repeated and bumped Lance's shoulder with his own. "You worry too much."

"I don't worry!" Lance retaliated by pushing him away and running before Keith could catch his foot. He passed him just a minute later though, so Lance yelled at him and speed up. They ran all the way until Lance's house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

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Saturday night was a mark on Lance's life because it would be the last party he would join as a high schooler. The semester had just a few weeks left and next year he would be off to college, a new city and new horizons. Before that, however, he wanted to achieve some dreams that were closer to him. Just a few meters away, actually.

So see, Lance had spent the last few months pining after a girl, that he really liked but hadn't dared to approach yet. After the "Allura's incident" in their third year, he had calmed down a lot and his subtler approach seemed to work way better, a surprise to no one but himself. He had even managed to score a few flings, nothing too important but still better than his previous record.

This time, however, it was different. He had been pining long enough that he would like to have something more serious, just for once. In fact, he would have liked to have something more serious way ago but things just hadn't work like that. This time he was ready to try his luck from the start.

He had talked a few times with the girl, Jenny, since they both shared some classes and even had one project group together once. She was everything he wanted for a girlfriend, nice, funny, pretty and she even laughed at his jokes. He was sure both his friends and family would like her too. Even if Keith kept rolling his eyes or scowling when he talked about her, Lance was sure once he get to actually know her, the other guy would have to accept that Lance was right this time.

But all that was a plan for the future because what Lance had to do now was go to her, who was just at the other side of the room talking with her friends. He had been nervously bouncing from one foot to another, frequently enough to annoy Pidge and make her punch his arm lightly.

"Can't you go there already?" She said, the empty cup on her right hand threatening to stain his clothes. "You have been talking about your 'great night' all week. Are you chickening now?"

"Let him alone, Pidge." Hunk wasn't looking to them, eyes wandering through the room, probably a bit bored. Lance felt thankful for him, at least until Hunk kept going. "We all know he always gets nervous at the end."

"Hey!" Lance screeched, betrayed. "I'm not nervous! I'm perfectly fine."

"Sure." Keith said, with a huff and hiding his face behind his hair.

"Are you saying I'm lying, Mullet?"

"I haven't said anything." He said, turning to look at Lance who saw the hidden smirk on his face. Pidge laughed at his right, making Lance pout and cross his arms over his chest.

"Don't worry Lance." Hunk tried again, this time giving them his full attention. "I'm sure it will be fine. You said she seemed to like you."

"Well, but you never really know ." It just took a moment for Lance to realize he had betrayed himself with those words. His friends, however, didn't pick at him this time. It was for the best, probably.

There was a silence for a moment before Pidge sighed and physically pushed Lance away from them.

"I can't see you fidgeting anymore." She said. "Go already or I will."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me." There was an evil smile on her lips that scared Lance.

He wasn't crazy enough to challenge the small menace, so he took a deep breath and walked towards the girl's group. He stopped midway to look at his friends, who were all looking at him. Hunk gave him a thumbs up while Pidge and Keith raised their plastic cups. Lance smiled to them, still nervous, but a bit more confident now that he saw their support. They are good friends, a bit annoying and mean but good at the core. Even Keith, the ass. He couldn't disappoint them now, especially when he had spent all the week talking about his plans for today.

Jenny spotted him a few seconds before he got to them and waved, which reassured him a bit more. It couldn't go wrong, right?. Once he got there, he greeted everyone before actually trying to say anything. His courage left him for a second, and he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Hey Jenny, are you a magician? Because whenever I look at you, everyone else disappears!"

The words left his lips before he could stop them and he felt a bit sheepish. The group laughed and Jenny did too, but she didn't say anything and Lance was feeling uncomfortable again, so he decided it was time to actually do what he wanted to do.

"Oh, uhm, you see… You are a nice guy and all but… I'm already dating someone. So I don't think that would be a good idea. I'm sorry."

"Oh, shit, sorry, I didn't know." And Lance indeed didn't know, because he was a lot of things but never a douche that would try to impose in between a relationship. Which was exactly what was happening now. "Damn, if I had known I- Uh- I didn't want to- uh."

Lance was aware he was rambling nonsense at this point, but he wasn't really sure what else to say. The pity looks he could see on Jenny's friends didn't help at all with his embarrassment. He kept apologizing with half sentences until a hand dropped on his shoulder, turning him around.

"Lance, here you are! We need you at- Uhm, are you busy?" Keith was awkward even being intentionally awkward, but Lance appreciated the sentiment.

"Not- not really." He managed to say before his friend interrupted him.

"Perfect."

"I'm sorry, Lance." Jenny said for the last time, and he sadly waved to her while Keith pulled at his other arm, taking him away from them.

"I assume it didn't go as you wanted?" Keith mumbled when they stopped, closer to the place they had all been at the start. Pidge and Hunk were mysteriously gone.

"You didn't have to save me, you know."

"You're welcome." Keith said, his voice a bit smug, but Lance preferred that than pity all the time. He still punched his arm lightly though, because he had an image to keep.

Keith punched him back, of course, but it didn't hurt, not really. They stood there in silence and Lance was wondering what he should do now that the party seemed way less as an opportunity and more as a failure.

He rubbed his hands over his pants, uncomfortable, before deciding it would be better to leave. He didn't want to look for his other friends though, so he thought the best would be to ask Keith to talk to them later.

"Uhm, you think you could say bye to Pidge and Hunk from me?" Keith's face fell before his brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I think I'm going home no-" He wasn't even able to finish his sentence before his friend was screaming at him.

"It's our last high school party! You can't leave so early!" Keith's voice was horrified and it actually made Lance laugh.

"Why the fuss?" He said, smiling "You didn't even want to come."

"And you forced me to do, so the least you can do now is enjoy the party you dragged me to."

Lance didn't have any argument to fight, nor the spirit to do so, so he allowed himself to be pushed to the next room where Pidge and Hunk had somehow managed to kidnap the controllers of the Just Dance game that had been taken all night.

As soon as she saw him, Pidge jumped over him, saying that everyone else was a loser and that he had to play with her so they could beat everyone else scores. Lance didn't really want to play, but he had never been able to say no to his friend and when Pidge had her mind up there was no way to refuse her.

It actually took some time for him to cheer up, the rejection hurting more than it usually did, but Pidge ridiculous antics managed to distract him enough to make him forget for the night. Keith had been right, it was their last high school party and Lance should at least enjoy it for what it was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

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Even though taking one year off was never Lance's plan, it had turned out a bit better than he had expected to. One year off the school system had been actually good for him, even when the exact situation had been anything but welcomed.

Half way through the summer vacation, when Lance was right in between enthusiasm and fear for the new things to come, his mother had an accident while driving the car. Fortunately, there was no lasting damage done, but both her legs had been badly broken and there was no way she would be up in less than six months. With his father working full time and his siblings either in college or already working for their own families, Lance had offered to stay home to help her manage until she was healed.

It had been a whole drama at the moment, for the McClains and also for Lance's friends. He had tried to make it seem like he didn't care that much, but they knew him too well and at the end he had confessed that he didn't want to stay but there was no other option that would let him sleep in peace. After some curses, tears and broken things (thanks to Keith), everyone had accepted there wasn't anything they could do. And when it had been hard to see his friends left whole he stayed at home, things were better now.

They messaged daily through their group chat, his mother was already walking again and Lance was way more relaxed than any other time he could remember. He had even got a part time job at a coffee shop near home, now that his mom didn't need him twenty four-seven. It was nice to have some pocket money and no deadlines, while also spending extra time with his mom. He still wanted to go to college next year and everyone was supporting him, but he got to enjoy what he had now.

For example, his job was overall enjoyable. Once he actually learnt where was everything, it got pretty easy to handle, even when he was alone. Rush hours were always crazy but at least those were mostly in the morning, so the afternoon shift was pretty calm. He could actually interact with the patrons which made time pass faster.

One of Lance's regulars was a guy around his age, who appeared every day at four in the afternoon. He had pretty nice green eyes and Lance was, well, weak. Therefore, he always tried to keep a conversation with him for as long as he was able to, without making it weird. He knew his name was Luka and that he was always needing a triple espresso to go. Luka worked close to the shop and usually had night shifts, therefore the daily need of coffee. He had even said Lance's made the best coffee once!

The guy was nice and funny and Lance had truly believed there was a reason why he kept dropping at the shop every day. And so, Lance had decided it was time to take a risk a left him a note on his cup the last time he had appeared at the shop.

"The name's Lance but you can call me anytime" and his phone number under it, even a doodle heart. A job he was still proud of. The results, however, said other thing.

He was dragged from his thoughts by his phone beeping. The coffee shop was empty at this time of the afternoon so he had no problem checking his messages, as long as he put his phone down when people came in. The notification was from their group chat, which wasn't really a surprise.

Pidge and Hunk had been busy lately, exams and homework piling up, but they said they should be done today or tomorrow. Keith was brief about his college stuff, not totally weird for him but it still worried Lance sometimes. It would be nice to know what exactly is happening to him, now that he's alone. They were supposed to go to the same university, while Pidge and Hunk were leaving the state but things didn't work like they wanted and Lance felt a bit guilty about leaving his friend alone in a new environment. He knew how much Keith struggled with interacting with people, but it had seemed to be going well for a while. Now Lance wasn't so sure about it.

Anyway, the last message was from Pidge, reading "WE'RE DONE" and then Hunk sending a long string of emojis. Fireworks, hearts, thumbs up and even some unrelated animals. It made Lance laugh and send his own emoji string.

_H: I'm sorry we couldn't be here more often last weeks_

_P: College sucks_

_H: How have you been? Lance? Keith?_

_K: Fine._

There it was. And then people asked why was he worried about Keith. Well, not that people really asked because he hadn't told anyone about his suspicions but whatever. The chat stilled for a moment and when Lance saw Pidge writing he just knew it would be a bad idea to pressure the topic. And since he was going to tell his friends anyway, he decided it would be a good moment to introduce the story he had been avoiding to think about all week.

_So maybe i made a huge mistake last week_

_miscalculation_

_i mean miscalculation_

_P: When don't you?_

_H: It can't be that bad._

_K: Shouldn't you be at work?_

_fuck you all_

_Except you Hunk_

_best buddy ever_

_H: Thanks buddy I love you too_

_P: What happened?_

_K: What hapened?_

_Well_

_You see_

_there was this guy coming everyday_

_to work and_

_P: Oh no_

_I mean he was funny and all so_

_I thought it would be nice to get to know him? better?_

_like out of work?_

_so i wrote my number on his cup?_

_H: sfsdfsdfsd_

_P: sfsdfsdfsd indeed_

_Did you jsut copied that?_

_P: Keep going._

_Oh._

_You see._

_He never called back._

_And_

_I haven't seen him here recently?_

The chat went still for a moment before everyone started to write at once. It made Lance chuckle. It wasn't a big deal, but it was nice to know his friends still cared. Hunk wrote that it was his lost while Pidge called the guy stupid for missing good coffee just because he was a coward. Which was kinda true, in Lance's opinion, and so he said at the chat. They agreed and kept talking about all the things the anonymous guy was missing while Keith was still writing but not sending anything, until he managed to send a single message.

_K: Fuck him._

_P: Very eloquent, as always._

Hunk scolded her and just when Lance was about to answer, the door opened for a few people and he put away his phone. It kept buzzing for a while but Lance waited until he got home to read the rest of the messages, mostly Pidge and Hunk arguing and then getting distracted, as usual. Keith had also sent a few pictures from a guy sleeping in class and they had discussed a bit about it before going to sleep. He sent a few messages, saying he was sorry for leaving them hanging and just a few minutes later, he got a private message from Keith.

_Are you busy?_

_Not right now._

_Can we Skype?_

Lance was about to ask him if he had finally learnt how to use technology, but Keith had never asked him this before and he was intrigued. Therefore, he turned on his laptop and got a call from Keith as soon as he logged on. Which was weird, but okay.

The connection wasn't the best, but it was still nice to see his friend 'face to face'. Keith seemed to think the same because he smiled and waved when the call finally connected. It was a bit weird to see him after months and it did something to Lance's heart. Maybe he missed him more than he had thought he did.

It was awkward at the start, since the screen kept lagging (totally Keith's wifi fault) but they got used to it soon enough and it at some point it almost felt like they were in the same room. At the end, Lance cut the call because Keith was practically falling asleep over his computer. He promised to call again in a few days, and he kept his word because they Skyped again two times in that same week.

It soon became a routine and Lance couldn't be more grateful because it was through their calls that he found out he had been actually right about his friend's attitude. Between the keeping track of Keith's issue, his work and helping his mother with house chores, the year ended without Lance noticing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

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The door slammed against the wall when Lance opened it with all his strength. It startled Keith, who seemed to be either studying, napping or dying on their couch in living room. The living room to the apartment they now shared as the good friends they were. Irrelevant. He had more important topics to discuss right now.

"I have news!"

"Jesus fuck, Lance, what is your problem?" It seemed his words had finally brought Keith back to life.

"I have news!"

"So have you said." His friend rubbed his face with his hands before sighing. "Did you really need to steal ten years of my life for it?"

It made Lance felt just a little bit guilty, but his excitement soon drowned the guilt.

"Yes! I mean, sorry, but yes! This is very important."

"Sure." Keith mumbled and fell over the couch again, his arm over his eyes as if he was going back to sleep.

Lance walked towards him and kicked the furniture, startling him again.

"Rude! Listen to me!"

"I'm sure even the neighbors are hearing you right now." Lance kicked the couch again, making Keith huff and finally look at him.

Then, and just when he was sure his friend wouldn't be back to ignore him, he took a seat on the couch. Exactly where Keith's legs were one second before. The man cursed and retracted his feet before trying to kick Lance out.

"Get your own seat."

"This is my couch." Lance claimed, blocking the kicks and pouting.

"It's not, it came with the room."

The fight went by for a few minutes before they silently agreed on Lance keeping the spot while Keith used him the rest his legs.

"So," Keith started, nudging Lance's leg with his own. "What was so important to interrupt my study session? You know I'm already late with homework."

"You were so sleeping when I got home."

"I was not."

"Sure, mullet, whatever lets you sleep at night." Keith kicked him again at that but it only made Lance laugh.

"Are you gonna talk or should I go to my room?"

"Since you are so curious about it…" Lance couldn't stop dropping his voice almost to a whisper, as if he was handling very confidential information. It made Keith roll his eyes, but Lance could see the smile he was trying to hide. "Here it is!"

Lance showed him his phone, the contacts list open. Keith blinked at it a few times, before looking up at his friend, his face blank.

"What am I supposed to see here?"

"Keiiiith, why are you blind?" Lance shoved the phone on his face again, forcing the man to read the list this time.

"I don't- Oh. That." Keith's voice was plain but Lance didn't let it bring down his enthusiasm

"Right!?"

"I thought you said it was a lost cause." The man sat up on the couch, freeing Lance's legs and opening his own phone.

"I know! But then!"

Keith didn't comment too much on his story, he never did, only humming a bit from time to time while he played on his phone. Lance had thought maybe he was going to message their group chat with Hunk and Pidge, but he opened a game app. Lance got a bit pissed but it didn't stop him from keeping his story going.

It had been almost four months since the first time he saw one of his classmates and it didn't take him too much time to get interested. They shared the first class in the mornings so he was clearly a much more interesting view and the teacher. Keith had listened to every one of his rants before, with more or less interest, so Lance couldn't really blame him for being bored already. At least he was still listening and didn't tell him to shut up. Yet.

"And then I pulled the finger guns, I'm sure it was that. That killed him at the end!" He got a snicker as an answer when he finished.

"You are so extra." Keith chuckled, locking his phone and putting it in his pocket. Lance wanted to be offended but in reality, he was almost bouncing on his seat and also he could see a tiny smile on Keith's face, hidden under his hideous hair.

Lance kept buzzing on his seat until Keith sighed again and said.

"Uh… Shouldn't you, call or something?" He was weirdly looking at the ceiling, avoiding Lance's eyes when he looked at him. It suddenly appeared to Lance that it was something weird going on with his friend.

"I was going to but… umm… Are you okay? You are acting weird all of sudden."

"Me? There's nothing wrong with me."

"Sure? You sure you don't have anything to tell me? Nothing is going wrong with college?" It made Keith huff and nudge him away.

"Stop! I told you nothing is wrong!"

"Fine!" "But you know you can tell me if something happens, right? I mean, if you have doubts again or-"

"Yes," Keith cut him off, his voice annoyed. "Are you going to call this guy or do you want to keep poking me for nothing?"

The reminder had Lance bouncing his leg again, suddenly nervous. It had been a lot of time and he felt stupid at it, but he still got nervous every time he was really interested in someone. He looked at his phone once and again, not doing anything.

"Should I really? Isn't it too soon?"

"If you don't, I'll rat you out to Pidge."

"You wouldn't dare!" Lance screamed, betrayed and horrified at the threat.

"Try me." Was Keith's answer, even though he was still weirdly quiet.

It didn't give him too much of an option so he stopped delaying the inevitable and pressed on the contact reading James G.

The phone rang a few times before an automatized voice answered.

_The number you are trying to reach does not exist. Please check you have the correct number before trying again._

Lance cut off the call and looked at his phone for a moment. Was it a mistake? It had been his own classmate who wrote the number so it would be weird of him to do it wrong, but maybe… Maybe the line was busy?

He tried again but got the same answer. Keith had stiffened at his side after the second fail call and Lance could feel his own fingers shaking. He took a deep breath and opened his messages

_Hey, is this James number?_

_Message rejected. The number you are trying to reach does not exist._

"Is… Is it my phone? Maybe there's something wrong with the line." Lance knew he was just looking for an excuse but he wasn't ready yet to face the truth.

Keith didn't say anything and took the phone from his hand, punching the numbers on his own with way more strength than necessary. When he hit call, it only took a few seconds for them to listen to the same dull voice, claiming the number didn't exist.

Keith cut off the call and Lance didn't dare to look at him, not wanting to see what would surely be on his friend's eyes. He could feel him seething at his side nonetheless.

"I guess it was a lost cause after all." He tried to joke, even though he was sure Keith wouldn't buy it for a second.

Lance heard him sigh while he gave him his phone back. They stayed on the couch until Keith calmed down enough, stretched out his arms and stood up.

"It's late already, do you want some pizza for dinner?"

"We had pizza two days ago." Lance answered, his voice distracted by the thoughts racing in his head.

"Are you seriously saying no to pizza?" Keith flicked him on the forehead and it succeeded in attracting Lance's attention.

"Ouch! Leave me alone!"

"So, yes or no? If you say no, you are cooking tonight."

"Fine! But I won't be responsible for your health in ten years more, you heathen!" Keith tried to flick him again but Lance escaped this time.

The order was placed online, using their last discount coupon to buy the biggest pair of pizzas they could find. Once it was done, Lance flopped on the couch while Keith went to rummage to his room. He came back with his console controls and some games. Lance peeked from in between his arms

"Do you want to play?" Lance asked,

"Aren't you late on your homework? You don't even like FPS games." He frowned seeing the titles his friend had chosen.

"Well, since you have already woken me up…"

"You said you were studying."

"Shut up." Keith threw him the controller and turned on the TV. They managed to finish one game before the pizza got home and they had to stop to pay and eat. Lance wasn't really in the mood to gloat about his first win, but he did make a few comments about it just to not lose the chance.

They were ending the first pizza when Lance's phone suddenly started to buzz. He was mostly sure Keith had messaged their friends by private because suddenly their group chat was all alive and Hunk was sending photos of his new food creations, failed or nailed, while Pidge sent some very descriptive opinions about some of her teachers.

Lance got his screen full of grease before Keith screamed at him and threw him a napkin, refusing to let him touch the controllers before he went to the bathroom and washed his hands. He came back to both Pidge and Hunk scolding him and telling him to take better care of his electronic devices.

He managed to beat Keith four more times before they went to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

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* * *

**.**

It was almost midnight when Lance got home, slowly closing the door at his back. Keith was probably sleeping and he didn't want to wake him up. Even though he didn't want to be alone, he wasn't totally sure he wanted to face his friend just right now.

However, it seemed like his luck had run out earlier than he thought, since he heard the bathroom running just as he sat on the couch. He had kept the lights off which seemed like a very bad idea in retrospect. Considering who he lived with, it wasn't a real surprise when a few minutes later the lights turned on, blinding him.

It made him yelp and when he was able to see again, he found an intimidating view of Keith in pajamas while holding a knife near his face. Lance waved awkwardly, making him jump back and scream.

"Lance!? What are you doing here!? I could have stabbed you!"

"I have no doubt you would."

"It would have been your fault!" Keith left the knife on their table, and Lance should have maybe been a bit more concerned but at this point he was already used to his friends carrying pointy stuff everywhere.

"I'm sorry I scared you." Lance took advantage of his height and patted Keith on the head, like if he was a kid.

"I wasn't scared."

"Whatever you say, mullet." He kept his hand over Keith's head for a moment and then the man shrugged it off.

"You are cold."

"It is cold outside."

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Keith moved to the kitchen and started sorting through the dirty dishes to find something usable. "I was going to make some anyway."

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? You said you were tired."

The rummaging sounds at his back stopped for a moment and Lance couldn't avoid turning around and look at his friend. When he did, however, Keith had already returned to fill the kettle with water.

"I couldn't sleep. What are you doing here?" His voice was tight and Lance got the feeling he already knew the answer. "You said you wouldn't be back until very late tonight."

It was his turn to stay silent and unmoving, avoiding to look at Keith, even though he was still working on his tea. The man didn't pressure him and so the silence settled on the apartment, broken only by the kettle whistle when the water boiled. Keith made his tea anyway, even when Lance hadn't really answered

"Is it really that bad?" Keith whispered, looking at his mug.

The warm and the steam was comforting but it didn't do too much for Lance. He shrugged as an answer. He saw Keith opening and closing his mouth a few times, like if he wanted to say something, but at the end he only sighed. He leaned back on the couch, making himself comfortable while Lance barely sipped on his cup of tea. It was at least good for his body heat and he felt the cold slowly leaving him.

Maybe Keith knew how weak Lance was for silence, scratch that he totally knew because he stayed there drinking and not saying anything until Lance finally broke.

"She didn't even show." It was barely a whisper but Keith heard it anyway, going by the way he flinched and turned to look at him. "Nor answers my calls."

He must look really pathetic, all dressed up and sitting on a ratty couch by midnight, trying not to cry over a stand up. He must really look like that because Keith was known for say the first thing that crossed his mind and yet there he was, clearly mulling over his next words for Lance's sake.

"That's… very low. Even for her."That at least picked his curiosity.

"What do you mean 'even for her'?" Keith frowned.

"She was mean to you. You showed me your conversations more than once."

"She was joking, I told you." Keith's frown got deeper and he didn't say anything, just shaking his head.

Lance let it go since he wasn't really in the mood to talk more about the topic. He felt raw and exposed and only wanted to hide in his room and never come out. At the same time, he didn't want to be alone and being near Keith comforted him.

"She was being a bitch to you all the time." Keith mumbled then, getting up with his tea gone. Lance wanted to tell him to stay but he didn't dare to speak. His friend, however, seemed to read his mind because he promptly added. "I'm going to wash this, we don't have more space for dirty cups."

The explanation calmed him down a bit, at least until he heard the water running. Then he felt like they were existing on two very different planes and soon fell down depressing thought paths. He always tried very hard to avoid them but this time he couldn't stop the words that left his lips.

"Why does it never work for me, Keith?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer. "What is wrong with me?"

There was a shattering sound, a curse and before Lance could turn around Keith was at his side cupping his hands over the mug he was still holding.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Lance." The certainty in his voice was hard to fight with but Lance couldn't really believe him either.

"But everyone is always-"

"People are stupid. They don't see what they are missing. You are an amazing person Lance." Those were things that had never been said between them and yet Keith managed to say them as if he had always thought them. As if it was their normal "A good brother, son, and my best friend. Everyone would be lucky to have you."

It was hard to look at the eyes that were in front his face but there wasn't really any way to hide from them. Keith had that power, to drag attention to him when he wanted and kept it there. Or at least it had always seemed a superpower to Lance. He had never been able to look away from him, not even when they were younger. And yet...

"I guess not everyone thinks the same"

He cringed hearing himself. It was lower than every pathetic thing he had said before in his life and he could see Keith's face twisting before he steeled himself and looked at his eyes.

"Listen. You will find someone. And then all the losers who wronged you will regret because you will be happier than all of them. Ever."

There was something on Keith's voice that made Lance shed a few tears but also made him smile . It was hard to argue with him when he was being stubborn and besides it sounded as if he truly believed all that he said.

"At least some of us still has hope."

"Shut up Lance. I'm right and you'll see." And just like that, Keith leaned a bit to clean Lance's face. "Don't ruin your face because of a stupid bitch who doesn't deserve you."

"That's rude." Lance snickered half hearted and rubbed his eyes. Keith retracted his hands both stayed at his spot, right in front of the couch.

"It's the truth. You okay?"

"I guess." Lance said, nodding a bit. "Are going to break all of our plates every time I'm upset?"

"You're an ass, you know that?" Keith huffed and stood up. "I was going to clean it."

"It's the least you can do."

He left to fetch the broom and Lance sighed, leaning back and getting comfortable on the couch. Hearing the sounds of the broken pieces being collected was funny but he wasn't at his best yet.

Even when it was nice to know what Keith actually thought of him, he was still gloomy on his seat, the tea slowly going cold in the mug. It wasn't really a surprise when his phone started to buzz in his pocket, just a second before Keith sat again on the couch. Lance let his tea on the table before fishing the device and opening his notifications.

_K: Lance is sad_

_H: What happened?_

_I'm not_

_K: He's not talking to me._

_P: Why are you two up? It's almost one am._

_H: You were up at five am last night_

_Or today_

_Whatever_

_P: But this is Lance!_

_and his beauty sleep_

_K: He's sad_

_I'm not_

_K: *attached file*_

_H: Oh no! What's up buddy?_

_K: *attached file*_

_He's pouting because I sent you his picture._

_Now he's telling me to stop sending pics._

_Stop_

_P: What happened?_

_I don't want to talk about it._

_P: So something happened_

_Stop sending PMs to Keith_

_I can see you all_

_H: Awww buddy we're just worried_

_It's not that bad_

_Keith is being stubborn_

_I said I'm fine_

_P: Fine_

_*Attached file*_

_K: Is that a frog?_

_P: Live or die?_

_Live!_

_What did it do to you!?_

_You savage_

_H: Live_

_K: Die_

_P: …_

_Keith_

_Why?_

_K: Why not?_

_Don't listen to him. Protect the frog._

"What is your problem with the frog!?" Lance asked, punching Keith's shoulder.

"What's the big deal? It's just a frog. Besides I was joking."

"If she kills the frog I'll cut you hair while you sleep."

_P: It's okay lol_  
_It was here in the morning but left when I took the picture_  
_No idea why it was here_

_Good_

_No killing wildlife_

_H: I would never let her do it anyway_

_P: Party pooper_

_No frog die today_

_or ever_

_stop_

_K: *Attached file*_

_He's invested on the frog_

_ISKJSDJ_

_I TOLD YOU TO STOP_

With no warning Lance jumped over Keith, who seemed to have been waiting for him to anyway because he caught him midair and almost avoided his hands. They wrestled on the couch until they fell down, their phones pinging a few times more meanwhile. At the end, Keith managed to push Lance away and keep him at a distance with his leg.

It took a while but Lance finally gave up and took his phone back, sitting on the couch again to read the missed messages.

_H: Are they fighting?_

_P: They are_

_Or maybe..._

_K: I won_

_You wish_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.**

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

**.**

* * *

**.**

So, you see, the thing about Lance was that he wasn't stupid. He may be easily distracted and a bit too enthusiastic but never stupid. And even if sometimes it took him a bit to understand some things, it usually wasn't his fault.

So, he didn't feel exactly guilty about not noticing this before. Okay, maybe he had been especially slow this time, and maybe it was kinda important and maybe taking months to finally start thinking about it wasn't his best mark yet and… Okay, maybe it was a bit of his fault but-

In his defense, he must say there had always been other things in his mind. However, he must have been mulling it over for a while in his head because he was having a peaceful evening like any other and then, suddenly, something clicked in his head. And now that he saw he wanted to kick himself for not noticing earlier.

"You were upset because I was going on a date with someone." Lance stated rather than asked, once the piece finished slotting together and the picture became clear.

"What?" Keith's voice sounded really confused, which wasn't strange since they were literally in the middle of their dinner, sitting on the couch like the sensible people they were.

"How did I never see it before!?" Lance stood up, throwing his arms up in the air, his dish fortunately resting on the table already.

"I don't know what you are talking about." And now Keith's voice was defensive, so it probably meant he knew exactly what he was talking about. And yet...

"But, why were you?"

"I-"

"You weren't before. Were you? Oh my god, you so were!" To be honest, he was talking more to himself now, so he wasn't really listening to anything Keith could say.

"Lance!"

"It does all make sense now! "

"Are you done already or-"

"But why!? It had nothing to do with you! I've never left any of you because of dating. You shouldn't be upset, unless…" Lance finally stopped talking, a very interesting idea occurring to him for the first time ever.

It made him pause and turn around to look at his friend. Keith looked weirdly "scared" as if he was a wild beast caught in the middle of sneaking around.

"Why, Keith?" His friend did not answer though, and they stayed there, face to face and unmoving until something changed on Keith's face. Something small but that wasn't unnoticed with the amount of attention Lance put on him at the moment. He even managed to predict the next five seconds before they happened.

"Oh, no, you are not-" but it was already too late because Keith had fled the couch and was already opening the door to his room by the time Lance tried to catch him. The door slammed behind his back and Lance found himself looking at the white paint. "I can't believe this."

With a huff, he made his way toward the closed room and knocked three times before trying to convince his friend to get out.

"Keith, we are having a conversation here! Rude!" There was no answer so he knocked again, and again with pretty much the same result. The light was turned off, as it did when Keith went to sleep, but he could still hear his footsteps getting closer and away from the door.

"Keith I can hear you!" the tapping sound stopped and Lance felt like screaming. So he did. "Keith! I saw you hide in your room! I know you are there!"

No answer came back and Lance kicked the door, frustrated. Not that strong because they were cheap and fragile, but still enough to make a point. Then he sat on the floor, back against the door, decided to wait whatever time was needed for Keith to get out and answer his question. Meanwhile, he took out his phone and messaged Hunk.

_Keith is hiding what do i do_

_what? why is he hiding?_

_I asked why was he upset about my date_

_like 3 months ago?_

_Oh wow_

_this is happening_

_what's happening!?_

_?_

_Can't help gtg bbl_

_Don't leave me!_

After the ultimate betrayal, Lance took a picture of the closed door and sent it to Pidge.

_Please tell keith to get out_

_I'm not talking to him_

_I didn't say you were?_

_?_

_Pidge?_

_is he talking to you?_

_No_

_Pidge!_

He looked at his contacts and of course Keith was on. Since he wasn't answering the door Lance tried sending him a message.

_Get out_

There was no answer but the message appeared seen. It made him furious.

_dont ignore me_

_what are you talking with pidge_

_keiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith_

Surely enough, he still got no answer but the seen sign so he huffed and blocked the phone. Fine. Shitty friends he had. Lance rested his head against the door, waiting for the buzzing that would let him know they were still worth. It didn't come, however, so he was left there trying to solve this puzzle in front of his eyes.

So, it was obvious Keith had been upset at his date but the question was, why? There were a few possibilities but not many of them would have made Keith hid in his room. Particularly because he liked to solve problems by charging into them instead of hiding and running.

Lance wasn't even half as self centered as he liked to play it, but as he saw things there was only one possible answer that would make Keith upset and would also chase him into his room like this. However, that particular possibility… It wasn't something Lance would have even entertained thinking. Like, ever. He had never thought about Keith like that . It was probably a mistake. And yet…

Lance got frustrated and knocked at the door again, before unlocking his phone to send a string of messages to Keith.

_Came here_

_or_

_I will_

_do_

_something_

The messages were left on read again, and Lance was three seconds away from throwing the phone away. Fine. He wanted to play it like that. He wasn't going to out stubborn him. Lance was going to make him leave his room and actually talk, whatever the cost.

Now, what was the most annoying thing he could do to Keith? He surely complained about a lot of things but he wasn't usually serious so… Ah, of course, that would do.

Smirking to himself, Lance got up, kicked the door for good measure and strode into the kitchen, only to come back with all their left napkins. He sat again, his back to the door, and then proceeded to write the most cheesy thing he could think of.

_Where were you hiding all my life?_

There. Perfect. He slid the note under the door and it took some time but then he heard a muffled sound that could have been a scream. He smiled to himself before taking another napkin.

_If you were a steak you would be well done._

This time the muffled sound came faster, but the door kept closed and his messages left on read. Lance growled but steeled his resolve. He could do this all night. He was a master at this.

_Hello, I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart._

_Are you a cat because I'm feline a connection between us._

_If nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?_

Napkin after napkin they slipped under the door, and Lance just felt a little bit guilty for wasting their supplies this way. Whatever, if it worked it would be a fair inversion.

He was just done sliding the last one,_ Are you a beaver? Cause daaaaaaaaam!_ , and thinking for a new one when his phone beeped.

_K: Stop_

_Are you finally going to come out?_

There was no answer but the door opened and Lance to scramble to get up in time and avoid hitting his head on the ground. Keith left the room and ignored him to go sit on the couch again. This time he put his feet over it too and dragged his knees closer to his body. Lance was a bit lost about what was he supposed to do now, until his phone beeped again with a single message from Pidge.

_Behave._

That was all. Punctuation included. Lance sighed and made his way to the couch too. Keith didn't do or say anything when he sat at his side and the air around them became awkward as it had been since years ago. It took some time but Lance finally manage to say the words that were burning inside him.

"Since when?" He mumbled, not sure of what exactly was he asking but wanting to start with something easy, like time.

"Not sure. A long time?" Keith's voice was barely a whisper against his legs but Lance heard it anyway. He could have never missed it.

"Uh…" Lance muttered, very articulate.

"You don't need to pity me." Keith sighed, rubbing his left eye with his hand. It seemed more like a nervous thing than anything else.

"You think I would do that for pity?" It wasn't something Lance expected Keith to say and he still didn't want to assume anything. Not until he had an actual confirmation of what he had been thinking since Keith ran away.

"I don't know," his friend said with a shrug, as if he really didn't care. "You don't owe me anything."

"So. Am I right?" Lance didn't feel like voicing it out loud but when Keith only shrugged again, he had no option but to actually ask. "Keith. Do you like me?"

There was a long, long silence that lasted maybe hours or just a minute before Keith before sighed very deep and nodded.

"Yeah."

Now it was time for Lance to be stunned into silence. No one moved after the confession but Lance's head was going ten miles per hour. He wondered how had he never even thought about this, how much it must have sucked for Keith and what did it exactly mean for himself. How was he supposed to feel about this? Shouldn't it be at least a bit weird instead of just… okay? At the end, he managed to collect himself enough to ask something else.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He was looking at Keith this time so he saw him tilting his head to one side, maybe pensive.

"You don't like me." He wasn't even upset about it. It was so obvious how much he was used to the situation already. "And it was okay to be your friend."

"How do you know?" Lance blurted, his heart suddenly beating very fast.

"What?" For the first time, Keith lifted his head and looked at him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

" That I don't like you." And honestly, what was Lance saying? He couldn't hear his own thoughts over the beating of his blood on his ears.

"Do you?" Keith asked, his right eyebrow arched in that smuggly way Lance used to hate so much when they were younger.

"I-" The answer wasn't yes. However, and weirdly enough, it wasn't 'no' either. "I don't know"

Keith laughed softly, like he did sometimes when he wasn't being his normal broody self.

"You don't. No need to worry, I understand."

Lance shook his head and before he noticed his mouth was running faster than his thoughts.

"I don't know. I think I maybe do. Or I could. I don't know. You have always been there for me, so I didn't really think about it." Keith looked surprised and Lance was it too, especially because he didn't find it in himself to deny any of the things he had just said. "But now, you like me, and it's like… the world has shifted."

That actually made Keith laugh out loud but there was something fond in his eyes when he teased him.

"Pftttt, you are sappy."

"When am I not?" Lance replied, also laughing.

Silence came back but it wasn't uncomfortable as before. Lance had leaned against the couch's back, thinking, while Keith was humming something under his breath. It was a nice sound even if it was soft.

So Lance thought about a lot of things. About Keith, about everything they did together on a daily basis,about their bickering and fights, about watching movies until early in the morning and laughing together until the neighbours knocked on the walls. He thought about the silent afternoons when they were busy with their homework and projects and still managed to share the same space. He thought about setting a plate to wait on the microwave before leaving in the afternoon and finding wrapped sandwiches at night.

He thought about holding Keith's hand, kissing and hugging him, and realized it felt more natural than any other thing had ever felt. Maybe he had been missing more than just one thing.

"So, would you give me a chance?" Lance blurted again, avoiding all over thinking that could stop him.

"What?" Keith was startled from his calm, clearly not expecting the question.

"You know. To date you." Lance head tilted over the couch's back, facing Keith with a lazy calm that had fallen over him after some realizations.

"Lance, you don't have to." Keith, instead, was frowning. It made him afraid he had done a mistake or that he was asking too much, at least until his friend kept talking. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity!" He took Keith's hands on his own and managed to disentangle him from the human ball he had become. His eyes looked bigger from this point, and had they always been this purple? "I would like to try. Please. I know I don't deserve you after all this time and all you've done for me but. Please. Give me a chance."

In any other situation, Lance would have laughed. Keith's eyes were big and wide, his mouth was open in a small circle and he could almost see the thoughts chasing in his mind one after another. After a moment, he tried to say something but no sound came from his mouth which closed and opened again a few times. A funny sight indeed.

"Are you serious?" He finally asked. His voice was small, frail and dubious, like he didn't really believe what he had just heard.

"I am." Lance smiled, squeezing his hands.

"You really don't have to-"

"I know"

"Oh." Keith bit his lip and didn't say anything else, and Lance tried to give him time but he had never been good at patience.

"So, what do you say?"

"Uh. Eh. Okay?"

"Is that a question?" Lance huffed, grinning.

"Okay." Keith said, with a tiny smile of his own

"Yes!" Lance all but tackled Keith into the couch "You won't regret it! I'll make it up for you, I promise!"

"Ugh, stop, let me go!" Keith laughed but he was still trying to push Lance away

"Aw, Keith, don't be mean, let your boyfriend hug you!"

"Boyfriend?" His voice was funny and it made Lance doubt himself for the first time

"Uh, I mean, I guess? If it is okay, uh-"

"It's okay, you idiot." Keith silenced him by kissing his cheek, before pushing him away. Lance felt his face combusting and couldn't stop himself from giggling. "What's so funny?"

"This. I just. I can't believe this is happening."

"Yeah, tell me about it." It sounded a bit melancholic, even if he was still smiling, so Lance all but draped himself over Keith. Then he pecked him once and again in between giggles.

It was Keith's time to blush. He didn't even notice when Lance took a selfie of them both.

* * *

_*attached file*_

_P: *screaming*_

_H: Congrats_

_K: I told him to stop taking pictures._

_Shut up, this one is cute._


End file.
